1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid jetting apparatus which jets a liquid from nozzles.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a liquid jetting apparatus which jets a liquid from nozzles, in an ink-jet printer described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-211691, an ink-jet head mounted on a carriage which reciprocates in a main scanning direction and a main tank are connected by a plurality of tubes. The tubes are arranged in a state of being bent so that the tubes are able to follow a movement of the ink-jet head when the ink-jet head reciprocates together with the carriage.
Moreover, in this ink-jet printer, a front frame which forms a wall on a main-tank side with respect to a frontward and rearward direction which is orthogonal to the main scanning direction and parallel to a horizontal plane faces a portion of the tube which extends from the main tank toward the ink-jet head. Reaction forces, which intend to restore the tubes from the bent state to the original state, are generated in bent tubes. However, the tubes make contact with the front frame, and the tubes are prevented from being spread in the horizontal plane due to the reaction forces.
Further, a recess is formed in the front frame at a portion facing the tubes, and the tubes are positioned inside the recess. Moreover, positions in the vertical direction of the tubes are regulated in a state that the tubes are fitted in the recess.
Here, in the ink-jet printer described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-211691, an ink jet head which jets an ink from nozzles moves, and as it comes closer to a position away from a fixed portion of the tube in the main scanning direction (inner right position in FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2003-211691), the tubes make contact with the front frame over a long distance. As a result, the tubes are bent strongly, and a diameter of bending of each of the tubes decreases. When the diameter of bending of each of the tubes decreases, a magnitude of the reaction force increases. At this time, when a size of the recess in the vertical direction (a distance of side surfaces of the recess in the vertical direction) is small, the tubes are not capable of moving vertically inside the recess, and substantial reaction forces are generated in the tubes. Moreover, if such substantial reaction forces are generated in the tubes, when the ink-jet head moves in the main scanning direction, the tubes are caught in the side surface of the recess, and a smooth movement of the ink-jet head is hindered.